


standing here dancing cheek to cheek

by rocket_rach



Series: DickBabs Week 2018 [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, featuring Gotham's 1percent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 19:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17028714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocket_rach/pseuds/rocket_rach
Summary: dads conspire for charity against their teenagers





	standing here dancing cheek to cheek

Bruce reached down, stopping Dick’s hand from tugging his tie loose, again. He caught the thin wrist gently and pulled it back down. He looked down at the young acrobat’s disgruntled face, his small pixie face squished up in disgust.

“It’s itchy,” Dick muttered.

“Yeah, tuxes are always itchy. You learn to ignore it after a while,” Bruce muttered back. He rolled his shoulders, then plastered his Brucie Wayne smile across his face. “heads up, kiddo, Gordon and Barbara are here.”

“ _You didn’t tell me Barbara was coming_!” Dick whispered back. His blue eyes scanned the room and sure enough, Barbara Gordon was trailing behind her father. She was wearing a green floral-patterned dress that made her green eyes shimmer from halfway across the room. He hadn’t realized his jaw had dropped until Bruce’s index finger was placed under it, pushing it back up.

“You’re gonna catch flies like that,” Bruce said.

“Why didn’t you tell me Barbara was coming?” Dick asked, his hand yanking not too harshly on his guardian’s sleeve.

Bruce shrugged after he snatch a small martini glass of off a passing server. He sipped it, feeling the urgency and possible nervousness in his ward’s voice. Sparing a glance down, he was disturbed to see Dick had gone eerily pale. He went down on one knee, placing his large hand on Dick’s thin shoulder.

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I’m sorry, I’ll ask you next time, okay?” He tried to soothe. Bruce was still so new at this whole parenting thing.

“Do I have to talk to her?” He whispered. They were getting closer. Dick had a moment of wondering if this was what goons felt like when Batman and Robin were out on the hunt. He now understood why they were always shaking so bad.

“We just have to say hello, is all. Can you handle that?” Bruce wouldn’t mention the dance he and Jim had planned for the kids. Nope. That would just be happy (or unhappy) situation for them.

“I guess.”

Bruce got to his feet, brushing off Dick’s shoulder as he went. He turned around, seeing Jim and Barbara.

“Commissioner Gordon,” He greeted. “hello, Barbara. How are you two? Enjoying yourselves?”

“These Police balls get better every year,” The commish began. “I see Dick is joining us this year. How’re you liking it?”

“Oh, it’s really great!” Dick’s voice cracked.

Bruce took another sip of his martini to stop the laughter that threatened to break out of his chest. Barbara simply raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly unimpressed with him. Bruce couldn’t wait for them to figure out that their masks had been flirting with each other for six months now, but the civilian selves couldn’t even look at each other.

“Glad to hear it. Mr. Wayne, are we still on for later?”

Bruce nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it. Actually, Jim, there is something I need to talk to you about. Privately.” 

Jim nodded, and the two adults left the two teens alone.

“I, uh, like your dress,” Dick whispered.

“What?”

“I said I like your dress,” He repeated, at an audible level this time. Dick realized after she blinked at him that he had no idea how to talk to girls, especially girls that were so far out of his league. He cleared his throat.

“You’re nervous,” she stated.

“No,” Dick shot back immediately.

“Am I making you nervous?”

“No, you’re not—”

“Welcome!” Bruce’s voice boomed over the speakers scattered throughout the room, silencing them. “I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves tonight. I enjoy hosting this ball every year for Gotham City’s finest. It’s important to me and the people of Gotham that the police hold those responsible for crimes accountable as well as hold their brothers and sisters in the force accountable. I’ve known Jim since I was eight years old, and he’s continued to hold me responsible, and I hope I’ve been able to keep him honest. Although if you asked him, I’m just I’ve probably just added to his sleepless nights,” half the room laughed at that and Dick knew he should’ve told Bruce to take that joke out. “But, besides all the lives you all save on a daily basis, you take the time out of your days to help the future of Gotham City. Tonight, our guests of honor are citizens who are alive today because of your caring actions. And, to kick off the dancing for evening, I’d like to invite my son, Dick Grayson, and Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, Barbara Gordon to the floor.

“No.” They both yelped.

Bruce stood there at the podium, looking too smug. Jim looked a little too smug as well.

Suddenly, the people standing and sitting around them burst into applause. Barbara begrudgingly took Dick’s hand and dragged him onto the ballroom floor. Dick fumbled over himself, finally earning an eyeroll from Barbara as she guided his hands to the correct places. The big band to the right of the podium kicked up, saxes and trumpets and trombones singing harmoniously.

“I hope you at least know how to dance,” Barbara murmured into his ear, and if he got goosebumps down to his toes, well, no one would know. “because otherwise we’re going to look like huge idiots.”

“Barely,” Dick whispered. 

They were still standing there.

“You have to lead!” Barbara hissed, stomping on his toe for good measure.

Dick pulled his foot back after she lifted hers, and only his acrobatic background kept them from crashing to the floor. The percussion started up and the teens were dancing and swirling to the beat. Barbara had her green eyes focused on Dick, occasionally flickering to the center of his body to stay with him and his movements. He moved so gracefully, each step gentle and placed directly on the balls of his feet. She saw his shoulders bunch up, and her gut told her a spin was coming. He extended her arm and she was already stepping her way down the length of it. Then he pulled her into his chest and she twirled, her green dress flaring out around her.

They were nose to nose and she was _smiling_.

Then there were bodies pressed around them, all dancing. Absorbed in the mob of wealth and Gotham’s blue line, they kept dancing until the big band took a break.

**Author's Note:**

> this is super late because I was in chicago and almost got into a knife fight on accident and then we went to the christkindlmarket but anyway!!! hope u enjoy


End file.
